After Goodbye, Farewell & Amen
by Mirandabelle
Summary: Time was ticking by and the sanity of one man depended on the love he was so longing for... What happened after that kiss?


Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters of M*A*S*H they all belong to Fox, although I wish I owned them! Also, the people I create are my property, and I don't mind people using them, just ask me first please! NOTE: I haven't seen all the episodes of M*A*S*H, as in Australia, reruns are patchy, so if I've got anyone's existing parents, spouses, siblings, hometowns, or children's names wrong or other details incorrect please tell me at mirandabelle@bigpond.com Any other comments would be greatly appreciated! This is continuing on the very strong theme I picked up by reading other fan fics, Margaret and Hawkeye getting married. This is written from different people's POV as the story progresses. This is the first M*A*S*H fiction that I wrote and I hope you enjoy it. After Goodbye, Farewell & Amen  
  
Margaret Houlihan: " I don't know how we said goodbye so calmly after that insanely long kiss. Half of me was screaming, 'Go back to him, you love him, you need him.' While the other half was reminding me of all the times he'd degraded me, humiliated me, treated me like scum. and cared for me. As the jeep drove away, I felt as though I had left the other half of me on his lips. I wanted Hawkeye. but I didn't think he'd want me, I was so old and as he'd reminded me on occasions, the loss of 10 pounds wouldn't hurt. I bit my lip, fought back the tears which threatened to spill and watched the man I loved fade into the distance."  
  
Hawkeye Pierce: "Margaret's body against me felt incredible, the way it curved so beautifully to fit mine. This was only topped by one thing, her lips against mine. That single experience in kissing her was better than all the sex I'd ever had and it took all the willpower I could muster to not take her into what was left of the supply tent. Although, going off the way she looked afterwards, I think she would have come with me. But Major Houlihan was so womanly, so dignified she could never have wanted me like I wanted her. it just wasn't her style. I loved Margaret and I knew it, but as the jeep drove off and her perfect body got smaller and smaller, I held my ground and didn't chase her."  
  
BJ Honnicut: "I've never seen two people so passionately in love and still deny it so fiercely. I guess Hawkeye and Hotlips had spent too long as enemies to be lovers now. But that kiss had all those years of love, passion, hatred, friendships, arguments, understandings and disagreements in it, that I felt certain as I watched them part, they'd be back for more, I knew it."  
  
Margaret Houlihan: "The 8063rd was hell. no Hawkeye. It was all so neat, so orderly, so conformist, and so. military. Everything Frank Burns would have been proud of, but I didn't love Needle-nose, I never did, I loved Hawkeye, I knew it now, and I also knew that if I spent another day away from him, I'd go insane. I found out from a nurse that he was going home via Seoul, Boston, Portland and finally Crabapple Cove. I made an urgent phone call to Seoul airport. To my delight he was there and as I heard his voice, I thought my heart would stop beating."  
  
Hawkeye Pierce: "Margaret's voice was a total relief, I needed to hear it. We didn't say anything to each other; I couldn't even get out of her why she rang. I finally got an answer about when she was going home, but in the middle of her talking I just blurted out, "I love you." She was dead silent and then started to cry. I thought I'd ruined everything, and before I could do anything to rectify the situation, there was the final call for my flight. I had to go, and with serious regret, I said goodbye. Two days later, I was in Crabapple Cove, with my dad, all my familiar friends, a band of adoring young women who I'd left behind, but without Margaret Jane Houlihan, who was the thread to my sanity as I was able to discover later on."  
  
Nurse Kellye: "I'd never seen a woman act so strangely, even those nurses back at the 4077th who were lucky enough to get a night with Trapper or Hawkeye seemed sane compared to Major Houlihan. She came out of the office, tears absolutely streaming down her cheeks; she was crying so hard I thought someone had died. I called to her, but I don't think she heard me. Only when she walked into me did she notice my presence. She just looked at me, her huge eyes swimming with tears and looked totally disbelieving. 'He loves me, Sarah, he loves me.' I didn't know what she was on about, and before I could ask, she pushed past me and went and flopped on her bunk. She stayed there all day. and most of the night, sobbing and saying over and over, 'He loves me.' She recovered a bit the next day, but I could see that her attention was strained and her smiles and praise - or frowns and harsh words - were forced. All she could think about was the man who loved her."  
  
Margaret Houlihan: "Daddy met me at the airport and he lifted me clear off the ground in his warm embrace. He had gotten old though, and lifting me was an effort. However, that effort was nothing compared to how hard it was for me to greet everyone, my sisters, my friends, people I hadn't seen in years and not Hawkeye. Daddy realised then that I wasn't okay; I guess it was the faraway look in my eyes and the half-hearted attempt at smiling that gave me away. He asked me then, "Margaret, love, what is wrong, you're only half here." I don't know who was more surprise with my answer, him or me "Oh, Daddy, I left my other half on another man's lips in Korea." I started to cry then and Daddy took me home and tucked me up in bed. For the next few days I let everyone rule my life, I didn't care though; my life was empty without Hawkeye."  
  
Daniel Pierce: "My son was ill, there was no two ways about it. Not physically ill, mentally. He barely ate or drank and he never slept. He'd go for walks at odd hours of the night, and come back, even more agitated than he already was. He wouldn't talk directly to me, so I had no way of getting through to him. I thought it might have been the shock he had undergone in Korea, and so I wrote Sidney Freedman. Sidney agreed that it may well have been the shock on the bus and so, he agreed to come at once."  
  
BJ Honnicut: "Hawk rang me, but he wasn't the same prankster who nailed shoes to the floor, switched people's uniforms or drank homemade gin. It was like he was on a different plant. He was vague, and asked me three times in one phone call who Peggy was. It wasn't that though. It was receiving two more calls, two days running at 3am that proved he wasn't sane. Every other word out of his mouth was Margaret and I was worried, but at the same time I thought that I was right, perhaps he did love her. As unbelievable as it seemed, Hawkeye needed Margaret, and when he continued to ring at 3am to ramble incessantly, I wrote Sid Freedman, packed my bags and headed for Maine."  
  
Hawkeye Pierce: "The nights were long in Crabapple Cove. And to my dismay, they were elongated by one thing - no love. I wanted Margaret and I thought I'd die without her. I was going insane I couldn't eat or sleep, or even talk and a few rambling phone calls to BJ don't count. I would sweat horribly, yet shiver, I would lay on my bed crying and unable to get rid of the picture of Margaret that I had in my head. I needed this woman, my life depended on it. Dad saw it too, thank god, but he didn't see I needed Margaret, he bought another person into it, Sid Freedman, and Sid was as stumped as everyone else as to why I had withdrawn myself from life."  
  
Sidney Freedman: "I had had two people contact me about Hawkeye Pierce, his father and BJ Honnicut. Daniel Pierce said his son was shutting himself off and not eating or sleeping. BJ said that he had been rung for nearly a week at 3am, to just ramble about Margaret. Fearing a flash back from the bus, I dropped everything and headed for Maine. I found Hawkeye a rambling, shivering, crying shadow of himself. I couldn't talk to him, he wouldn't answer. HE wasn't entirely worried about the bus, but someone named Margaret. We assumed not Houlihan, because her relationship with Hawkeye had never been good. BJ Honnicut had flown across from San Francisco to see Hawkeye, but not even a best friend could help now. We all tried talking to him, but he was incoherent, everything he said was muttered or sobbed. Finally, I taped some of his ravings and after much listening, Daniel, BJ and I could understand some of it, about five minutes somewhere towards the end, it was one word repeated over and over, Margaret."  
  
Trapper MacIntyre: "Sid Freedman contacted me, it seemed that he thought I might be able to help him. Apparently Hawkeye was crazy about someone named Margaret. He said that neither himself, nor Hawkeye's father knew what he was on about. He also said that another of Hawk's friends, a Captain Honnicut, who had replaced my position when I went home, could only think of Margaret 'Hotlips' Houlihan. I told him that I knew Hawkeye might be crazy but surely he'd never fall for his worst enemy. Sid agreed that although Hawk and Margaret had not been the best of friends while I was around, later on towards the end of the war, their relationship had become closer and you might almost have said they were friends. He dropped the name Houlihan and Hawkeye went nuts, it seemed he was dying to see the frostiest nurse of them all. Worried for my friend, I headed straight for Maine, with my wife, Louise and our two girls Kathy and Becky in tow."  
  
Margaret Houlihan: "Daddy was worried that I showed so little passion for life, I seemed to be in a dream all the time, and when I asked him for a plane ticket to Maine, he didn't refuse. He said that he'd do anything to see his girl up and about again and before I knew it, I was going to find my man."  
  
Hawkeye Pierce: "God I needed Margaret. I couldn't sleep without her, I couldn't swallow food and I only drank and ate enough to stay alive. I could sleep now, out of sheer exhaustion. BJ had come to see me, and had bought Peggy and Erin, they all tried to cheer me up but none of it worked, I needed Margaret, the woman I knew then that I wanted to marry."  
  
Margaret Houlihan: "I got off at Portland airport, and after making my way out with my bag, I stood in the unfamiliar streets. I had no idea where I was going or where Hawkeye lived, all I knew was I had to find him. I hailed a cab and told the driver to take me as far towards Crabapple Cove as my last 15 dollars would get me, and now I stood broke except for a quarter, which hadn't gone on cab fare, and a nickel which I found on the ground. I saw a familiar mustache across the road and I called to him, he heard me, oh it was BJ, I was so relived, but before I could cross the road to him, someone called behind me and before I knew who it was, I was swept into Trapper's embrace."  
  
Daniel Pierce: "BJ, his wife and daughter had gone out for the day, while Sid and I tried to talk to Ben, Sid had said today was the last day he was going to try. If Hawkeye didn't come out of his moping today, Sid was going to admit him to hospital. BJ returned with his family early however, and he had five other people in tow. A tall man, two young women and two girls aged about six and eight stood in the doorway, while Hawkeye noisily raved in his bedroom. One of the young women clung nervously to the man's arm as he introduced himself. "Hi, I'm John MacIntyre, I was Hawk. umm Ben's friend in Korea." I shook his hand, "Pleased to meet you, come in all of you, are you Margaret?" I directed the question to the woman who wasn't clinging to John. She laughed, "No I'm not, Louise MacIntyre, his wife, that's Margaret, there. This is Kathy and Becky my daughters." I shook her hand and showed them into the lounge room. "So you're Margaret?" I asked. She nodded, "Yes, Major Margaret Houlihan." She saluted and I took her hand, "Come on, come on, there's someone here who's dying to see you." I took her to Hawkeye's room; Sid came out, saw Margaret and gave a sigh of relief. "Thank God" he murmured."  
  
Hawkeye Pierce: "Dad knocked on the door and came in without waiting for a response. "I've got someone to see you." He said, and I looked up. There she was, Margaret in all her radiant, feminine beauty. Moving faster than I had for quite some time, I rushed to her and we picked up where we left off in Korea. As I clasped the beautiful woman to me, I knew I'd never let her out of my sight again."  
  
Margaret Houlihan: "Trapper and BJ's faces were both a welcome relief. Both men had their wives and daughters there and Peggy, Louise, Kathy, Becky and Erin were as beautiful as both men had always boasted. To my delight, BJ was staying with Hawkeye's father and Trapper was headed for Crabapple Cove, I could have kissed them both! It seemed Hawkeye was going insane for want of me and they had both come to visit him in hope they could snap him out of his misery. I was nervous when I first met Daniel Pierce, but he was so glad to see me I instantly relaxed. Hawkeye was a sight, curled up in a corner like a wounded animal, sweating crying and whimpering. He saw me though and in a few seconds I was reunited with my other half that I'd left on his lips in Korea. "Dad," Hawkeye said after swearing his love to me. "Dad, this is Margaret Jane Houlihan." "I know, son, I know." Although I could not see his face, I knew Daniel was smiling."  
  
Louise MacIntyre "It was amazing, Mr. Pierce, Ben and Margaret emerged from the upstairs. Daniel who had been fairly sedate when I met him was wearing an identical ear-to-ear smile to that of his son. Margaret and Ben were joined at the hip and it had been so long since I'd seen a happier couple. Ben saw John and left Margaret's side to slap him on the back and shout, "Trap! 10 lousy minutes, that's all I missed you by!" We were all formally introduced to everyone, and as Daniel, Ben, Margaret, John, Kathy, Becky, Ben's other friend BJ, his wife Peggy and daughter Erin sat down to a celebratory dinner, I also thought my husband had found some peace he'd been looking for since he left Korea. Ha hadn't been able to say goodbye to Ben. or Hawkeye as I'd been invited to call him. And I think now that he'd seen his friend, he'd found some much-needed closure."  
  
BJ Honnicut: Erin thought her daddy was mad, I was singing, shouting and even dancing. Peggy came in, "What is it BJ?" I happily waved the gilt-edged paper under her nose. "It's an invitation, to Hawkeye and Margaret's wedding!" she exclaimed. " I whooped and kissed her. "Settle down, you're just like Erin, you have to write back now and say of course we'll come." I smiled, I didn't care how childishly I was behaving, Hawkeye and Margaret were finally getting married! I was so happy for them, but most of all I had been right, so damned right!  
  
Margaret Houlihan: "Hawkeye and I were so happy, we were engaged, I didn't care how much daddy disapproved of my choice of husband, I loved Hawkeye more than life itself and I was coming to marry him come the 21st of April 1955. We'd got so many people to come from interstate, Col. Potter, Trapper, BJ, Radar, and Father Mulcahy had even agreed to marry us. Better still they were all bringing their families, even Radar was bringing his fiancée and Father Mulcahy was bringing his sister. Daddy was coming to walk me down the aisle, because I loved my new family with all my heart and even he had to accept it in time."  
  
Hawkeye Pierce: "My Margaret was the most beautiful woman on earth, all decked out in white like that. Sure, I looked good in my tux, as did my groomsmen, Trapper and BJ, but Margaret as my bride had beauty that rivaled the sun. Sadly though, her father had a stroke, and even with the best care that could be provided, even Dad and I flew across to try and save his life, he passed away in January, three months before he could walk his eldest daughter down the aisle. We found a great substitute though, a 'dear, sweet man,' Sherman Potter who looked on proudly as though Margaret was his own flesh and blood."  
  
Colonel Potter: "Margaret was like my daughter all through the war, I had taught her, scolded her. and loved her. It felt so good when I was able to give her away to the one man who I knew would treat her right."  
  
Daniel Pierce: "I never thought my son would condone his wife, 8 months pregnant traveling to Iowa for a M*A*S*H reunion/wedding. But Ben did and he and Margaret went to the wedding of Radar O'Rielly and a girl named Isabelle. Margaret didn't give birth in Iowa and my son and daughter in-law returned from a much- needed break, as they hadn't seen their friends since their wedding and consequently were happy and refreshed."  
  
BJ Honnicut: "I thought that I would go insane when I heard Peggy cry out, I felt so bad seeing as I was the one who'd got her pregnant in the first place. The baby sounded like it was half killing her. It seemed like and eternity before I could hold my son, Matthew Sherman Honnicut. As I was cradling my son, a nurse came in. "Mr. Honnicut, a Mr. Pierce is on the telephone for you, he says it's urgent." Curious I left my wife and two children to take the call, Hawkeye sounded so happy, when he told me his news. He was a father too!"  
  
Margaret Pierce: "I thought that Hawkeye would burst with pride. All I'd done on the 15th of December 1955 was deliver the healthiest, prettiest, most beautiful girl you could ever set eyes on. 9 months of pregnancy and 16 hours of labour, which can be compared to the time I spent apart from Hawkeye, and I was holding my little girl. He'd rung everyone, Trapper, BJ, Radar, Father Mulcahy, and Colonel Potter. Although Hawkeye's pride was nothing compared to Daniel's when he saw that his granddaughter not only had the name, but the pretty heart-shaped face of his beloved long-dead wife."  
  
Hawkeye Pierce; "I was so scared at first - the idea of a baby, especially after the bus. But as I watched my Margaret grow, I felt better. Finally my daughter arrived, I was so overcome I started to cry, which is something that I only previously did from grief. I rang all my friends from the 4077th, and found BJ in the hospital; Peggy it seemed had given Erin a brother, on the same day as my beautiful daughter was born. It was love at first sight with my daughter and I insisted that she was christened Caroleanne Maria, after my mother. Dad couldn't believe how much she looked like mum either. She had mum's eyes, mum's chin, mum's hairline and mum's birthmark. the one on her cheek, that's shaped like a star. But I think that some things are meant to be, and she's one of them as a reminder from mum not to forget her now that there's a new woman in my life."  
  
Daniel Pierce: "The way I felt when Margaret collapsed sobbing nearly tore me up, she had become the daughter I never had. She had just received a phone call, the subject of which I did not know, but whatever it was, it had hit her really hard. I put my arms around her, trying to soothe her, while I yelled for Hawkeye to come out from his office in my clinic where he and Margaret were both working. Hawkeye. although I had given him the nickname I didn't always use it, but I had started to call him that more and more, seeing as it was the only thing Margaret had ever known him as and the only thing she'd ever called him. appeared and ran to Margaret. She buried herself against him and cried endless tears. Her hysterical sobs had words in them that Hawkeye, who had obviously been through a crying fit of hers before, knew what she was saying. "Margaret, my love, are you sure?" She nodded crying more words and more tears. "Okay, don't talk anymore, it's okay, hush my love, my Margaret." He soothed her calmly, while tears glistened brightly in his eyes. "What is it Hawk?" I asked, "Colonel Potter," Hawkeye murmured, turning white as a sheet, "He, he's dead.""  
  
Hawkeye Pierce: "Dad's frantic yelling brought me running, Margaret was sitting on the floor, crying while dad hugged her. Rushing to my beloved wife, I brushed dad aside and soothed her. As she sobbed out her story, I realized why she was so upset, Mildred Potter had rung us, Colonel Potter, her husband of some 60 or so years had passed away. Dad shut up the clinic early, and we went home. I rang Mildred and talked to her. The funeral was to be in 5 day's time to allow one of their children to come up from Baton Rouge. I asked her if she'd have an extra bed or two for a few nights and she said that she was willing to house as many of us from the 4077th who needed a bed whilst they came for Colonel Potter's funeral. I thanked her sincerely and rung off. Still shocked, I packed my bags, and Margaret's and we flew to Missouri."  
  
Trapper MacIntyre: "Margaret's face was wet with tears matched everyone's. We had gathered in the large farmhouse while Mildred Potter set up beds for everyone. Hawkeye, Margaret, Caroleanne, BJ, Peggy, Erin, Matthew, a dozen or so nurses, my wife, children and I had come for Sherman T Potter's funeral and it was in very M*A*S*H reminiscent situations that we were bedded on the floor in the living room while the children were sleeping upstairs. Margaret clung to Hawkeye, still crying, while I sat somberly with my wife. We were all deeply hurt by his sudden death. Mildred was also very shaken, but continued to mother us through the night and into the next day, I think she needed something to keep herself busy. She was especially fond of Margaret, whom apparently the Colonel had talked about a lot. We had all lost someone, Margaret had lost a father and her 'dear sweet man', Hawk BJ and I had lost a disciplinarian and Mrs. Potter had lost a husband, but most of all, we'd lost a close friend."  
  
Hawkeye Pierce: It was a very subdued Margaret Pierce that announced her pregnancy, only just confirmed by my father, to me. She was still hurting after Colonel Potter's passing. I couldn't help sighing, I didn't feel thrilled by the prospect of a new life after a death, but we accepted the fact and kept going. Caroleanne was now 2 ½ and was the most beautiful girl you could wish for. She looked more and more like mum everyday, but Colonel Potter's death had taken the 'zing' out of our lives."  
  
Margaret Pierce: "I was too shocked to respond, I was pregnant. Daniel seemed pleased that I was now carrying his second grandchild, hopefully a grandson. Hawkeye and I just kept going, we didn't really care, we were unusually hit by the loss of our beloved friend and Daniel was beginning to finally show the signs of age. We kept going, played with Caroleanne, ran the clinic, Daniel had to retire, and kept in touch with our friends from the 4077th. But we were flat, we needed something to help us feel better, and I hoped, as my stomach slowly grew that my baby would be that little ray of sunshine we needed."  
  
Daniel Pierce: "Those two needed cheering up. They were positively moping and not even the news of Margaret's pregnancy livened them up. I knew what they needed. A good, long M*A*S*H reunion with everyone I could find to celebrate and give a M*A*S*H style farewell to their father, friend and teacher. So I wrote to the few addresses I could find in Hawkeye's book and planned the reunion for Christmas Day just before Margaret was due. I knew then that I was getting sick and old, but I had still vowed when my Caroleanne, my wife, not my granddaughter, passed away, that I was going to do anything to make my son happy."  
  
Hawkeye Pierce: "I had barely woken up on Christmas morning 1958. There was a knock on the door and as I opened it, BJ, Trapper, Radar, Klinger, and god knows who else from Korea came in. "Surprise!" They shouted. To my surprise Majors Burns and Winchester were there too. Dad smiled proudly, "My present to you, a reunion and, in the morning a 10.30 'dawn' service for your Colonel." I hugged the aged man "We'll have it tomorrow, at dawn, on the beach" I said, "I want to do something properly for him." The group nodded as I showed them in to where Margaret and Caroleanne sat under the Christmas tree, still in their Pj's. "Merry Christmas!" some nurses swooped on her, and kissed her. "Okay, everyone presents." Margaret stood up, straightened her hair and happily fell into the part of hostess. "Hawkeye, love would you please fetch the presents form upstairs?" I ran upstairs and as I came down with a box of carefully selected gifts, the room was quiet and a small group had formed around Margaret. "I dropped the box on a table and crossed the room. Margaret, what is it?" I took her hand. "I'm okay," she breathed, "I'm just in labour, but that's okay, we'll open presents and then we'll think about the baby." Margaret was so cool, calm and collected I just nodded and took Caroleanne onto my knee, the three-year-old giggled and gleefully began ripping off the paper on a present."  
  
Trapper MacIntyre: "Daniel had written me and so I flew my family over to Maine. Louise was not entirely happy about it, but I convinced her it was something I needed and Daniel was shouting everyone a night in a nice hotel and so, we could plan our attack on the household the next morning. We gathered on the steps of the large house at dawn. Hawkeye was so surprised and I was pleased to see, looked much better. Margaret and their daughter were in the lounge and we were all invited in. Margaret went into labour while Hawk was upstairs, but she was determined that nothing would spoil the party. By seven o'clock that night, we all sat down to dinner while Margaret ate nothing. Daniel was fussing around her, as was Hawkeye, and when her waters broke we all thought we'd leave but she insisted we stay. We took it in turns of minding the kids, while some of us talked Margaret through the contractions as Daniel and Hawkeye delivered the baby, and at 10pm exactly that night, we heard a tiny wail from upstairs. Everyone rushed to the door of the room where Margaret and Hawkeye were nursing their new son. "It's a boy." Daniel came to the door and ushered us into the room. Slowly we gave our congratulations and wished everyone a merry Christmas. Daniel and Hawkeye settled us in spare rooms and on sofas and we went to sleep early in preparation for Colonel Potter's dawn service."  
  
Hawkeye Pierce  
  
"Everyone came down to the beach, even my Margaret and our new baby, Daniel Sherman to say their final goodbyes to Colonel Potter as the sun rose over the ocean. It was a moving service, there wasn't a dry eye and it had nothing to do with the bitter wind. Everyone had a few words to say in honour of Colonel Potter. Klinger gave a long speech and had everyone nearly falling asleep. We stood on the beach for a while, watching as the sun rose. With tears falling down every face, we returned to the house, having found peace and closure with our Colonel to continue the party my son had interrupted.  
  
And last. Daniel Pierce started something. Every year after that, the M*A*S*H 4077th and the members' families had a reunion. It is 1977 now and the group, minus a few people had gathered to celebrate their friendship once more. Margaret and Hawkeye are hosting the party, their three children; Caroleanne Maria (22), Daniel Sherman (19) and Henry Alvin (18) are there too. Caroleanne is engaged, to Hawkeye and Margaret's delight, to a very handsome young man who shares her birthday, Matthew Honnicut. Matthew's parents Peg and BJ are there as always and his sisters Erin and Grace have come, with their beaus. Trapper and Louise brought Becky and Kathy who are both now nearly 30. Kathy is a widow, her husband died in Vietnam. Radar and his wife Isabelle are there. They had one son, a boy named Henry Blake O'Rielly he is 'going steady' with a girl from Ottumwa named Rebecca. Klinger and Soon-Lee came, they found Soon-Lee's family and after getting them settled, moved to America, bringing their 4 adopted war orphans, Kim, Lee, Max and Joe with them. Father Mulcahy is there, totally deaf, but still the same gentle man. Hawkeye taps his glass for a second and the room falls quiet. "Let's now remember those people who we miss. and some we don't who no longer walk among us, I'm going to try to make this a little more cheerful this year Colonel and Mrs. Sherman T Potter, a dear sweet man and the feisty wife who ruled him. And it's in his honour that I say, what in the name of Sweet Fanny Adams are you doing in that corner with that girl Daniel?" Everyone laughs as Daniel and his date stop kissing in the corner. "Lt Colonel and Mrs. Henry Blake, so long Henry I only wish you'd got home okay. Major Frank Burns, one of the people we don't miss, okay, Margaret take that look off your face, we miss him too, and his wife Louise is not here due to ill health. Personally it's odd that throat cancer took someone who always had Margaret to speak for him." People chuckled at this and Margaret's face turned scarlet. "Major Charles Emerson Winchester III, his wife Veronica, son Charles IV and daughter Hortense are here somewhere tonight. Sidney Freedman, the guy I could always rely on to keep me sane. Ladies and gentlemen, take his advice, pull down your pants, and slide on the ice!" More laughter, Hawkeye was managing to honour those gone, but had also taken the sorrowful solemnity from the occasion. "Private John Clarke. A brave man who died fighting for our country in Vietnam. His widow is here, Kathy MacIntyre-Clarke. BJ and Peg Honnicut's son Nathan, he didn't stand a chance, died at birth. And finally to my father who, although dead for 17 years, it's his fault that we're here tonight. Daniel Pierce, this is for you!" Hawkeye raises his glass and everyone follows. Holding their glasses in the air for a moment, they remember those loved and lost. They take a last sip and smile at each other. "To Peace!" Calls Trapper. "To Peace!" Everyone echoes. 


End file.
